This Section Provides The Opportunity To Develop Your Course

This Section Provides The Opportunity To Develop Your Course Project

This section provides the opportunity to develop your course project. Conducting an internal environmental scan or organizational assessment, provides the ability to put the strategy audit together. In this module, you will conduct a comprehensive assessment of the internal environment at your business unit or organization you are working with for this project, also known as an organizational assessment, and present your findings in a report. In your report, you should analyze the operating characteristics and assets of your business unit. The SWOT model is one of the most common business tools used during organizational assessment.

Another is developing a balanced scorecard based on a prescribed or planned set of performance objectives that will be measured and evaluated regularly. In this assignment, based on the external environmental scan you conducted in M2: Assignment 2 and the internal environmental scan in this assignment, you will develop a SWOT analysis and a balanced strategic scorecard.

Paper For Above instruction

Develop a comprehensive strategic review of your chosen organization or business unit by conducting an internal environmental scan and creating a balanced scorecard. Your report should include an evaluation of the organization's mission, vision, and values; strategy clarification based on management insights; cultural assessment; value chain analysis; and a synthesized summary of strengths and weaknesses. Additionally, you will perform a SWOT analysis integrating internal and external factors, and finally, design a balanced strategic scorecard with measurable indicators aligned to strategic priorities. Ensure your analysis is grounded in credible research, structured professionally, and adheres to academic writing standards, including proper APA citations. The report should be 5–7 pages in Word format, including a cover page, executive summary, table of contents, and references.

Strategic Organizational Assessment and Scorecard Development

The successful development of an organizational strategic assessment begins with a detailed internal environmental scan, which provides insight into how a company's mission, vision, and values align with its strategic objectives. Further, a cultural assessment explores the unwritten norms impacting organizational agility and responsiveness. A value chain analysis then identifies key activities providing competitive advantage or exposing vulnerabilities. Integrating these analyses, a SWOT analysis synthesizes internal strengths and weaknesses with external opportunities and threats. Results guide the development of a balanced scorecard, which offers a set of measurable indicators across financial, customer, learning and growth, and internal process domains, reflecting strategic priorities.

Performing these assessments involves in-depth analysis grounded in credible sources. The mission, vision, and values set the framework for strategic alignment. Clear understanding and consensus on these elements bolster strategic coherence. Strategy clarification often requires interviews with mid- or senior management to evaluate whether staff understand and support the organization’s strategic positioning, value proposition, and competitive advantages.

The cultural assessment entails examining the unwritten rules, shared beliefs, and behaviors that influence organizational effectiveness. Cultures that foster information sharing, collaboration, and quick responsiveness typically act as enablers of strategy. Conversely, cultures marked by siloed behaviors or information hoarding can hinder strategic implementation.

The value chain analysis entails identifying primary activities—such as operations, marketing, sales, delivery—and support activities—such as procurement, human resources, R&D—that contribute to delivering value. Understanding each activity’s strategic contribution reveals areas of strength or potential weakness. For example, a differentiated value chain with high-cost processes might be vulnerable if competitors can emulate or innovate more efficiently.

The SWOT analysis integrates internal assessments with external environmental factors identified through market analysis, competitor audits, and industry trends. Internal strengths, like technological capabilities or strong brand recognition, can be paired with external opportunities like emerging markets or regulatory changes. Conversely, internal weaknesses, such as resource shortages or inefficient processes, may amplify external threats like competitive pressures or economic downturns.

The resulting strategic insights inform the development of a balanced scorecard. This tool measures organizational performance through selected indicators that track progress toward strategic goals. For example, financial metrics such as profit margins, customer metrics like satisfaction scores, internal process measures such as cycle times, and learning and growth indicators like employee training are integrated to provide a holistic view of strategic performance.

In summary, this comprehensive organizational assessment combines qualitative and quantitative techniques, grounded in credible research, to inform strategic decision-making. A well-constructed scorecard then enables ongoing performance monitoring aligned with strategic priorities, ensuring the organization remains responsive and competitive in changing environments.

References

• Kaplan, R. S., & Norton, D. P. (1996). Using the balanced scorecard as a strategic management system. Harvard Business Review, 74(1), 75-85.
• Porter, M. E. (1985). Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance. Free Press.
• Hambrick, D. C., & Fredrickson, J. W. (2005). Are you sure you have a strategy? Academy of Management Executive, 19(4), 51-62.
• Johnson, G., Scholes, K., & Whittington, R. (2008). Exploring Corporate Strategy. Pearson Education.
• David, F. R. (2011). Strategic Management: Concepts and Cases. Pearson.
• Barney, J. B., & Hesterly, W. S. (2019). Strategic Management and Competitive Advantage. Pearson.
• Yukl, G. (2013). Leadership in Organizations. Pearson.
• Chaffey, D., & Ellis-Chadwick, F. (2019). Digital Marketing. Pearson.
• Hitt, M. A., Ireland, R. D., & Hoskisson, R. E. (2017). Strategic Management: Concepts and Cases. Cengage Learning.
• Kaplan, R. S., & Norton, D. P. (2004). The strategy-focused organization: How balanced scorecard companies thrive in the new business environment. Harvard Business Press.